By Steve Miers

Whether you own the car of your dreams or you simply dream about owning the car of your dreams, joining a car club related to that particular car is a must. We have found that car clubs are a great way to network, meet others with similar interests and to get deals on cars and accessories.

Many people think that car clubs are simply for those people who want or have a tricked out ride with all the chrome their car can hold. This is definitely not true. From searching car clubs and information about car clubs, we found clubs available for anything from lowriders, monster trucks and motorcycles to luxury and high end vehicles. It seems that car clubs carry a stigma to be more for teenagers dreaming of owning a tricked out ride whereas they are really for anyone of any age who has a love of cars.

What do you get when you join a car club? This varies from club to club, but we have found a few things that are more prevelant. Many of the clubs have a monthly newsletter that will notify you of new products and accessories, cars for sale and upcoming car events. There is also gear that you can buy related to that car including t-shirts, hats, key chains, travel mugs and water bottles. You typically get a discount on these items if you belong to these clubs. If the club has a website, you can join the forum to share information about things you have done to your car as well as solicit advice from others.

If you are a car collector or are planning to purchase a car, car clubs can also help you find good deals. We know of one man who is a member of the S2000 club. After graduating from college, he decided to downsize in cars for a couple of years. Now that he owns his own business, he wanted to purchase another S2000. Through people he met at the car club he was able to find an awesome deal on a used one.

Car club memberships also make great gifts for the people we know who have everything. We have done this for a father-in-law who just purchased a Mini Cooper and a cousin who is into Lowriders. They both loved the gift and enjoy getting the newsletters and buying car gear for themselves.

So, whether you are driving a luxury car or cruising in your tricked out Honda, there is a car club just waiting for you. You can join for a small fee, but the perks, discounts and networking make it all well worth it. If, on the off chance, you can't find a car club that fits your needs, consider starting your own. Chances are there are others out there who would love to join the club and swap car tips and information with each other.

By Alastair Hamilton

A low rider bike is also known as chopper bicycle and is a highly customized bike. It is a very popular bike and its styling is inspired by both low rider cars and chopper motorcycles (that’s how the name comes). Bikers take it as a pride to ride a low rider bike. They have long, curved banana seat with a sissy bar and long upward-swept handlebars known as apehangers.

Who Ride These Bikes:

Low rider bike is not just a bike; it represents an urban culture of those people who want to be a part of it. These bikes are preferred for the fact that people ride them to relax themselves after a long day work. As a result, you will see a large number of such bikes over the weekends or public holidays, when a lot of people take them out for enjoyment and refreshment. These bikes are made in such a way so that it keeps a low profile.

It’s not just the boys who like to ride low riders; ladies also love to take a ride on low riders. Girls are often attracted towards these beautiful low riders and form a substantial percentage of total riders riding low riding bikes.

Main Attraction of Low Rider Bikes:

It can be personalized in any imaginable way for instance the frames can be twisted, wheels, spokes, peddlers can be painted etc.

The suspension fitted can be either Air Bag suspension or Hydraulic suspension, which allows the rider to alter the ride hide at will.

The most interesting aspect of low rider is its capability to fit sound system, boom boxes, I-pod, mobile phone and even the neon lights.

Latest Information about Low Rider Bikes:

The best selling bikes are: 20-inch original w/logo Low rider Bike w/Bent Fork and 20-inch classic Low rider Bike. The stock bicycles are mostly popular among makers of low riders and the most popular of these are:

* American produced- Schwinn Stingray.
* British produced- Raleigh Chopper.

The new trends in low rider bikes are also related to Cruiser or Beach Cruiser style bikes.

By Tim Gorman

Custom bicycles and lowriders have been around for a long time, but they seem to be back in fashion again. They were first popular in the 60's and 70's but in the year 2000 they started to be popular again. These bikes usually have a long seat and high curved handed bars. The riding position is usually fairly laid back. They were originally fashioned on the chopper motorbikes that were popular at that time. They often have a lot of accessories on them and are not just built for riding.

There is now a thriving industry in these bikes that until recently had been thought of as a novelty. The bikes that they are making now, although they draw their inspiration form their earlier models are much more sophisticated and stylish. They are also a lot better to ride than the original bikes were. But although they are different, they still retain the same character.

The fashion of custom bicycles and lowriders really started in the US around 40 years ago. But they were not called lowriders then, they were called dragsters. Although they were originally bikes that were made by their owners, they were soon being mass produced by Schwinn bikes. Their owners could still customize them as the company sold many ad ons to the bikes, so that they could still get that home made fashion.

But the more recent custom bicycles and lowriders are much better made than the originals. They are also much lower to the ground. This is really a fashion thing but that is what these bikes are all about. But there is usually suspension on the front wheels and an oversized rear tire to make them more comfortable to ride. They also are trying to make them have more of a motorbike thing to them.

Another thing that the custom bicycles and lowriders usually have is a stick gear system. This is actually more like a car gear and it is an essential part of the bike. There are a lot of these bikes being sold at the moment and they are getting more and more popular. There are some really good websites as well where you can get some good advice if you are new to them. But if you are going to get one of the m then you have to customize it. That is really the whole point of these great bikes.

By Alastair Hamilton

I was just a little kid in the late 1960s, when the TV show The Munsters was on the air in Prime Time TV, young enough to feel that Eddie Munster (the werewolf son) was my favorite character on the show. I don't remember him riding the "converted Schwinn Stingray" which was apparently the first lowrider bike featured on TV, and which started the craze for the lowriders during the late 60s and 70s.

I do remember that I wanted to sleep in a bureau drawer as he did - I felt that would be nice and snug!

What I most remember about the show, in the technology department, was the car they drove - the converted hearse. Now that was a car!

Anyway, that's just a bit of historical interest. Most kids today have never even heard of the Munsters - or if they have it's the remake done in the 1980s which had none of the charm of the original - give me Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo and Al Lewis any day of the week!

It wasn't a TV show that brought the lowrider back into favor in the late 1980s, however, but merely the concerted creativity of people in the Chicano neighborhoods of Los Angeles, who began exercising their creativity by tricking out their bikes with chrome, paint, and all sorts of accessories. The hobby caught on and has spread through urban areas throughout the United States.

Lowrider bikes are not built for speed - they are built for leisurely rides along the beach (hence the fat tires), or through the neighborhood. The riders want to "see and be seen in style."

Lowriders are usually considered to be among the most comfortable of bikes. The "apehanger" handlebars extend up so high that riders are perforce forced to sit up straight - reducing the stress on the back which is one of the chief causes of biking discomfort. The tires are cushiony, the seat, whether banana or some other kind, are roomy and comfortable. Most of them have only one speed and a simple coaster break, so they don't break down that often.

With the new space age materials of which bikes are made, these bikes aren't as heavy as you might think, so if you're thinking of getting a new bike, and like to indulge in your creativity, you might want to consider getting a low rider. (Even if you don't want to trick it out, or "pimp it" as the slang goes, it is still a classic "retro" design and a fun ride.)

But if you do want to trick it out (a term I prefer to "pimp" frankly, as I would think that word would have unpleasant connotations) there are plenty of stores, both bricks and mortar and online, where you can purchase practically any accessory you can think of - from gold and chrome mirrors, rims and spokes, to hand-painted murals on the frame, to rows of mirrors on each side, to a baby spare tire mounted on the back!

So check out
your local store or surf the web, and have some fun!

By Alastair Hamilton

Custom upholstery, rims, special whitewall tires, and sound systems are common on this mode of transport.

Think I'm talking about a car? No, I'm talking about customized lowrider bicycles - the latest craze sweeping the urban areas of the country.

A lowrider bike is not about biking, although they do get ridden up and down neighborhood streets, or perhaps on the beach, to show off the "pimped up" ride, but mostly they are about viewing.

People have put steering wheels on their bikes, neon, handpainted murals, and even hydraulics. What are "hydraulics"? You might be asking yourself. That's a fancy name for brakes powered by liquid. (Hydro means water in Greek.) The imagination is the limit when it comes to designing a lowrider bike.

You can get a plain old lowrider bike of course - simply a bike with a low, comfortable seat, usually a banana seat, the pedals set further forward then normal so it's almost like you're pedaling while sitting down, and high, swept up handlebars called apehangers.

But what's the point of getting a lowrider without accessorising it? (I prefer the term accessorizing to "pimping," personally, although "pimping" is what all the "young studs" call it.)

It's quite easy to get carried away, and more is not necessarily better, although some lowrider artists seem to think so. Two mirrors on each side, two horns, a spare tire mounted on the rear..it can be a bit much (although you can't tell them that!)

So before you start fitting out your lowrider, think for a while about what you want it to look like. Are you a talented artist? Then purchase some paint made specifically for bikes and give it a unique mural. Match the rest of the accessories to the mural. If it's of a series of volcanos, get red upholstery and red rims, for example. If you've got any mechanical talent at all you can "distress" various of the parts to give it a unique look.

Most of all, you've simply got to join a lowrider club in your area, because most of the fun in having these types of bikes is to show them off to your friends. Lots of clubs have competitions and give prizes for the best-looking or most outrageous-looking bikes.

Surf the web for online stores that offer lowrider accessories, so you'll know what all is out there. Then, let your imagination run wild!

By Barry Loughran

Car shows are a great idea as it is a public exhibition where you can see your favourite concept cars, debuts, out of production cars or even current models. It brings in many car enthusiasts, owners and professionals together in one place which proves successful for the car manufacturers as it provides a huge amount of PR for them. The main shows usually take place twice a year.

Some car shows occur more often than the big shows but are generally at a smaller scale with not as many vehicles. These smaller car shows may have a different theme each week whether it is classics, muscle cars, street rods or lowriders.

Online car shows are a very popular concept as they enable enthusiasts to view cars whilst in their armchair, bed or maybe on the train. They can also discuss their vehicles in forums with other enthusiasts. Online car shows also enable car owners to buy and sell vehicles online.

Here are some of the themes you might see online:

Street rods

Street rods are hot rods built before 1949; a hot rod is a vehicle which has been modified to improve performance, usually by increasing its power and speed. A few panels were removed and flames were painted on the side of the vehicle giving the impression that it was hot, hence the name hot rod.

Lowriders

A low rider vehicle is what you would expect; it is a low riding vehicle which has had its suspension modified in a way so it would drive lower to the ground. Lowriders are generally old vehicles from the 40's and 50's and were manufactured low already and have user controlled height adjustable suspension. Many low riders come with factory accessories and many accessories are available to buy for modification, for this reason most lowriders are not road legal. Some of the most popular lowriders are the 1964 Chevy Impala hardtop and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Muscle cars

Muscle cars are also known as pony cars and are generally American or Australian high performance cars and have two doors, rear wheel drive and extremely powerful v8 engines. The classic muscle cars were produced from the 60's and 70's and were used on the street with some used for racing. Some of the most popular classic muscle cars are the Pontiac GTO, Dodge R/T and Ford Mustang.

By Victor Epand

You enjoy building and displaying your model cars but why not add a little something extra that can set them apart from others? One way to make sure that your car stands out from the rest is to add hydraulics to it. Haven't heard of hydraulics for a model car? Needless to say they are a little used add-on that can the big difference between a cool model and an awesome one.

If you want to try your hand at installing them on your model car it is rather easy to do. The first thing you need to do is to figure out what kind of car you want to adapt into a lowrider. With many different lowrider models available you can add hydraulics to most any one you wish. Get creative and add them to one that most people would never imagine having them. With some work and a bit of extra imagination it is possible to adapt a standard model into a lowrider as well

The next thing you need to do is to get hold of a lowrider kit that contains the hydraulic systems that you will install on your model. These kits are made for models that do not come with the necessary parts to create a lowrider. It may take a little adapting to your particular model but this should not be anything major. Make sure that you do not finish out the model too far before you install the hydraulics or it can make it difficult to do so. The best way to do this is to read both sets of instructions and see how much is involved in the hydraulics kit so you know best when to start working the system in. Usually this is before the body and frame are mounted together.

Next you will want to make sure that you have mounted the hydraulics to both the tires and frame properly. Whether you choose to glue them in place or use screws they must stay securely in place. Now you are ready for a test run. Connect your wires to their respective spots and give it a go. Try out each setting on the controller and make sure that you have wired it properly. You also need to see how much the chassis can take so that you know when to back off after it is fully assembled so that you don't destroy your model.

If you need add a bit of weight to your model car to make it more stable you can either add fishing weights or coins to the chassis. This should add all the weight you need. Now, you are ready to assemble the chassis and body. Make sure that you secure it properly and give it ample time for the cement to set up if it is glued. You are all set for the final touches on your new lowrider! Remember, the real thing normally has an extremely high gloss look so try to use only glossy paints. This will help it look like it has just been waxed and is ready for cruising.

By Antonio Bici

If you want to take your lowrider bike building skills up a notch, think about adding airbrushing skills to your abilities so that you can make some truly awesome bikes. Add a skull, some flames, an eagle... anything to make your bike stand out from the rest of the lowrider bikes on the street.

All it takes to get started in working with paint, is to be curious about it and be motivated to expand your skills. With practice, you can learn some airbrushing techniques that can go a long way to making your ride match the vision you have for it in your mind.

Paint is a massively flexible medium. With some imagination and some skills, a good quality paint job can take your lowrider bike to the next level. Instead of going out and spending a lot of money on various custom built parts and equipment (hey, if you got the money, thats ok too) look into investing some money into airbrushing equipment and go out and learn a new skill. Not only will you be able to build better lowrider bikes, once you've acquired this new skill, you'll be able to apply it to other projects as well. Put on your thinking cap and ask yourself what else you can do with airbrushing. You can work on cars, lowrider bikes, help friends out, airbrush designs on t-shirts and so on. You will be able to do all kinds of different things. Not only that, but once you've developed your skills a bit, you can actually go out and make some money with these new skills and equipment.

Now if you're thinking that it will take forever to good and using an airbrush, stop right there. Yes, it may take a while to get good at it... Sorry to give you a reality check, but becoming proficient at something generally takes time. The thing to keep in mind though is that you'll be improving your expertise as a lowrider bike designer.

There are a few short cuts that will allow you to jazz up the bike even though you aren't an expert yet. You can do this with stencils. This is a great way to start out. There are all kids of different stencils that will work on your lowrider bike. Experiment with them. Try them out on various surfaces that you feel comfortable practicing on. Once you've refined the technique your practicing, then you can move to putting it on your lowrider bike.

Get yourself motivated. Next time you're at a show, pay special attention to the cars and bikes that have airbrushed designs on them. See what really stands out. Try to get some ideas from what other artists do. Use these to get your own creative juices going. Better yet, take pictures of the work that really impresses you. Print these out and place them around your garage or workshop. When you're ready to learn airbrushing, you'll be able to look at these pictures for motivation.

Good luck with your lowrider bike. Have fun and always try to learn more. Acquiring new skills and knowledge can last a lifetime and be applied to other parts of your life.

By Alastair Hamilton

Most people buy bikes in order to get around - or to have fun biking cross-country or downhill. However, there's a new rage on the scene, people who like to trick out their bikes - bikes called low riders - and then display them.

The lowrider bike looks exactly as you think it would from the name - the seat is set low to the ground and the handlebars are typically higher than the head, indeed they can remind you of "chopper" motorcycles - indeed some are decorated to look exactly like a motorcycle - right down to the faux gas tank. The imagination is the limit when creating a lowrider.

When I say it's a rage, I mean just that. People have been known to spend thousands of dollars on their lowrider, adding sound systems, hand painted murals, and even hydraulics. They delight in using excessive chrome, overspoked wheels and even fur. They put two mirrors on each side of the handlebars, spare tires on the back...oh, all kinds of things.

To get an idea of what a lowrider looks like, visit the web, as there are many sites that display these creations. lowrider.com was one of the first on the scene, as you can tell from the domain name. There are many more including lovelylowrider.com and streetlowrider.com

The TV character Eddie Munster, from the 1960s TV show "The Munsters" is generally regarded as the "founder" of the lowrider bike craze. He rode a George Barris customized Schwinn Stingray. (George Barris is most famous for his car customasations - he created the 1960s Batmobile, for example.) However, these types of bikes fell out of fashion in the 1980s, when the BMX and mountain bikes came into use.

Lowriders came back into favor in the 1990s, when Chicano neighborhoods in California revived the hobby, and it quickly caught on in the urban areas of the country.

Lowrider Lingo
As with any other hobby, the enthusiasts have devised their own terminology for their bikes. Those tall upward-swept handlebars are known as apehangers. When you're creating your bike you're either "tricking it out" or "pimping it." "Pimped to the max" means there's absolutely nothing more you can add to it.

The future of the hobby
Lowriding is still pretty much a neighborhood thing - or enthusiasts might gather where there is a local car show, but there has yet to be an annual competition or major venue where lowriders can exhibit their bikes to the general public.

By Andrew Caxton

The lowrider bicycle is all about making a fashion statement. A statement of personality.

The lowrider bike is also known as a "Chopper" or "Muscle Bike." It's just about the most distinctive bike out there - no so much because of the design, although that's eye-catching enough, but also because of what the owners do to their bikes once they get them.

What does a lowrider look like? Picture a Harley Davidson motorcycle, then take away the motor. The handgrips of the lowrider are the highest part of the bike, and the seat of the bike is down at wheel level. Sometimes the pedals are higher than the seats!

Lowriding first became popular among the Chicano American community, but now their popularity has spilled over into most urban areas. Dozens of lowriding clubs have been formed. Lowriders also refer to cars (which also started out in the Chicano American community) and there are lots of contents between car enthusiasts to see who has created the best ride. Competitions for lowrider bikers will surely not be far behind.

Once you've got a lowrider you've got to give it a custom paint job - from handpainted murals to all kinds of color schemes. Whitewall tires, custom upholstery, chrome rims...the whole range of exotic accessories lies before the new lowrider owner. Each lowrider is a unique piece of art - that's part of its appeal.

Aztlan, located in Chino Hills, California, is the number one lowrider bike manufacturer in the world, and if you check out their website you'll see the full range of lowriders available - before you get them home and start working on them so that they reflect your personality.

The Aztlan Lowrider Cruiser retails for $120, and consists of the lowrider frame, and wheels, a bent spring fork, bent sissy bar, and the banana seat. You can add a bullet light to that so you can ride it at night.

Then there's the Aztlan Gold Continental Lowrider, that comes with a gold flat twisted continental kit with chrome classic wheel, two gold mirrors, a gold bumper, and a gold bullet light. This retails for $260.

Among other styles Aztlan offers is the Birdcage custom - consists of the lowrider frmae, straight spoke wheels, a bent spring fork and sissy bar, banana seat, and a birdcage handlebar, seat post, birdcage pedals and nut covers, and a duck tail fender! This retails for $339.95!

Another company is the Mega Lowrider, located in San Diego. In addition to the bikes they offer all kinds of accessories, such as a heart-shaped steering wheel, upholstery such as velour grip and pedal covers, and bolt-on items like dice, skulls, or 8-balls!